Lead Software Engineer; Tech Lead

Develop for Good is a tech nonprofit startup that provides affordable, custom engineering and design services for other nonprofits. We design apps and build websites by pairing our clients with teams of vetted talented and diverse tech student volunteers from colleges everywhere. Over the course of 266,000+ volunteer hours, Develop for Good has supported 4,000+ college students and industry mentors across over 275 projects for clients including UNICEF, the World Health Organization, and the Smithsonian Institution.

85% of our students are under‑served or under‑represented in tech. Spun out of Stanford University, Develop for Good has surpassed $2.2M in revenue with the support of several Silicon Valley tech companies, and has been featured on Forbes, Tech Crunch, and TED. Ultimately, we accelerate the careers of the diverse tech leaders of tomorrow with real‑world, high‑impact tech experience.

Develop for Good is now exploring leveraging AI to suggest resources, guide students in real‑time, and curate custom curricula for real‑world project‑based learning. We are seeking a Lead Software Engineer (Tech Lead) to own the greenfield development of a personalized, AI‑driven learning experience for college students as they design and develop custom software projects for nonprofits at scale.

Our ideal candidate is someone who is excited to be the first full‑time technical hire at a nonprofit tech startup, and eager to take ownership of establishing a greenfield foundation for what will eventually be an engineering organization that will be built around them.

• Own responsibility of lifecycle development of features and maintenance of a greenfield codebase.
  • Develop the high‑priority AI components of the solution by personally producing documented, testable, quality code. Implement their foundational technology with your contributions.
  • Take ownership of overall codebase, ensuring scalable, maintainable, and efficient systems and integrations. This includes overseeing version control, managing code merges, and ensuring smooth deployment processes.
• Collaborate cross‑functionally.
  • Work closely with Develop for Good’s leaders to ensure the development process is aligned with user needs, program goals, and product vision.
  • Collaborate with stakeholders across the organization to ensure seamless integration of the platform with other Develop for Good systems.
• Manage and mentor a team of technical contributors.
  • Once the core architecture is in place, lead the onboarding of additional contributors and junior team members to expand the solution with new features and enhancements.
  • Develop timelines and set priorities to ensure timely delivery of features.
  • Troubleshoot issues and provide technical guidance to resolve roadblocks as they arise.
  • Provide hands‑on technical leadership, including writing code and solving complex problems.
• Support technical education in core programs
  • Engage with students as needed for project‑specific technical challenges.
  • Research, suggest, and implement new educational tools and resources for students to apply to their projects (i.e. emerging AI tools for website development).
• Execute such other duties as designated by the Executive Director.

• A postsecondary degree in computer science, engineering, or a related field is preferred.
• Solid ML fundamentals and deep interest in the latest generation of generative AI and related technologies.
• Extensive experience managing large and complex codebases, including implementing and maintaining coding standards and best practices.
• Strong proficiency in full stack web app development.
• Proven experience leading engineering projects and teams, including mentoring junior developers and managing technical challenges.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, capable of explaining complex technical concepts to non‑technical stakeholders.
• Must be solution‑oriented and proactive.
• Is highly responsive, reliable, and positive while operating under tight deadlines and uncertainty in a small, early‑stage team.

The expected salary range for this position is $125,000 - $140,000. The actual offer will be at the company’s sole discretion and…